Camera digital display



Oct. 19, 1965 D. c. BAILEY 3,212,395

CAMERA DIGITAL DISPLAY Filed Sept. 25, 1961 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 rl/ T.

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MW Asenssowmz /klll i' lmll A? /z L #f7- 57.2. j WVFNTOR. f5 DAvlD C.BA\LEY OC- 19, 1935 D. c. BAILEY CAMERA DIGITAL DISPLAY 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 25, 1961 INVENTOR. DAvm C. BMLEY Oct. 19, 1965 D. c. BAILEY 3,212,395

CAMERA DIGI TAL DI S PLAY Filed Sept. 25. 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. DAvm C. BMLEV United States Patent O 3,212,395 CAMERA DlGll'llAL DHSPLAY David C. Bailey, Champaign, lill., assigner to The Magnavox Company, Ilort Wayne, Ind., a corporation of Delaware Filed Sept. 25, 1961, Ser. No. 140,554 14 Claims.. (Cl. 8-24) The present invention relates to filing and retrieval of documentary information and more particuarly to apparatus for recording information on a storage medium.

One method of filing documentary information involves the use of photography to record graphic and printed information in greatly reduced form on tiny pieces of film. The pieces lof film are marked with coding suitable for machine reading techniques and are then filed in a much smaller space than would be occupied by conventional papers carrying the documentary information. The pieces of film are filed and retrieved by mechanism actuated by the said techniques. Such a method is accurate and dependable and, in the case of a large installation, provides profitable economy of space and labor.

Many business firms, however, cannot afford the great expense incident to a filing and retrieval system which is operated substantially automatically by coding on the film and devices for reading the coding. It is, therefore, desirable that there be provided a means of reducing the high cost of automatic filing devices without loss of the material advantage resulting from the small storage space required by greatly reduced photographs of the information to be stored.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide an improved apparatus for making an information carrying medium which includes visually readable characters for manual filing or retrievingy and a machine readable code for providing automatic ling and retrieving when so desired.

A futher object of the present invention is to provide improved apparatus for displaying selected visually readable characters and/ or coding for photographing.

Still another object of the invention is to provide apparatus for displaying a series of selected characters in contiguous relation, said characters being sufiicicntly large to permit reading of the characters on a photograph reduced in size many times.

Another object of the present invention is to provide apparatus of the present type wherein characters which have not been selected are retained `or hidden out of range of the photographing means,

Still another object of the present invention is to provide apparatus of the present type including means for preventing various markers carrying the characters from striking against one another whereby marring and scratching thereof is prevented.

Related objects and advantages will become apparent as the description proceeds.

One embodiment of the present invention comprises a table and a shaft rotatably mounted adjacent the table. A plurality of marker plates are pivoted on the shaft with the fiat display surfaces of the marker plates extending radially and axially of the shaft. Each of the marker plates is pivoted on the shaft by means of a mounting element, each of the mounting elements being spaced axially of the shaft. The shaft is rotatable through a part-circular path to move the marker plates upwardly and to the rear and is reversibly rotatable back through said partcircular path. There is also provided a plurality of stops mounted above the table and each spaced axially of the shaft for engaging and stopping a selected one of the mounting elements to keep its marker plate out `of the 3,212,395 Patented Oct. 19, 1965 display area and to display a desired adjacent marker plate.

The full nature of the invention will be understood from the accompanying drawings and the following description and claims.

FIG. 1 is a perspective View of a display and photographing device embodying the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged plan View of an information carrying medium comprising a piece of photographic film as produced by the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic View of a drive and control means forming a part of the device of FIG. l.

FIG. 4 is a vertical section taken through a representative one of the display stations of the device of FIG. l.

FIG. 5 is a rear elevation of the structure illustrated in FIG. 4 with portions of the structure of FIG. l shown in section.

FIG. 6 is a perspective View of a representative pair of mounting elements for marker plates and associated structure, said mounting elements and marker plates forming a part of the illustrated structure of FIGS. 4 and 5.

PIG. 7 is a side elevation of one of said mounting elements.

FIG. 8 is an end elevation of one of the mounting elements.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, there is illustrated a display and photographing device 1t) which includes a table i1 upon which documents 12 are displayed for photographing by a camera i3. Lights 15 are mounted on the sides of the structure for providing sufficient light for the photographing operation. The purpose of the device of FIG. l is to produce a reduced sized photographic film 16 as shown in FIG. 2. This film is a photograph of the documents 12 and additionally of visible numbers 17 together with coding 18 for operating suitable photoelectric sensing means. Thus, the film or card 16 can be filed and retrieved manually by use of the visible numerals 17 or can be machine led and retrieved by use of the coding 1S,

In order to photograph the proper sized numerals and coding on the same piece of film as the documents 12, the device itl is provided with a plurality of numeral and code display stations Ztl, each of which is capable of displaying any numeral from zero to nine together with associated coding representing that number. It will be noted that at each station 2G, there is displayed a numeral 21 and associated coding 22, all of which completely fills an area contiguous to adjacent numbers and coding and to the table 11. In other words, no matter which number is displayed, it will completely lill the area assigned for the particular station Ztl.

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, this effect is achieved at each station 2t? by the use of an indicator element comprising a plurality of marker plates 09 which are movable all through the same path including a flush relationship with the table 11 and each of which extends radially and axially of a shaft 25. The various marker plates are mounted upon the plurality of mounting elements tl-9 each of which includes a finger 26 and a disc portion 27. A representative one of the mounting elements is shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. It will be noted that each mounting element also includes a tab ttm-9 which extends radially from the disc 27 and also extends axially of the shaft 25 in one direction thereof. Each tab is positioned with respect to the axis of the shaft 25 at an angle of approximately to the .finger on the mounting element.

The tabs 09" function to keep the marker plates separat-ed whereby they are not scratched and marred and also to support an adjacent marker plate in fiush relation with the table for providing a display. Referring, for example, to FIGS. 4 and 6, it can be seen that when a particular finger, such as the finger of marker plate di, is stopped in an upwardly extending relation, the tab 6 corresponding to that marker plate will stop the finger mounting the marker plate in the desired fiush relationship with the table lll.

The tabs have the further function of providing a portion of means for returning all of the marker plates to an upward and rearward clockwise position as viewed in FIGS. l and 4 prior to the display of a desired marker plate at a particular station. At each station, .there 1s provided a further disc having radially extending portion 31 thereon. The disc 30 is fixed to the shaft 25 by means of a suitable set screw 32. It can be seen that the tab 0 is in the path of the projection 3l. Thus, when the shaft 25 is rotated clockwise from the position of FIG. 4, the projection 31 engages the tab 6' which, in turn, engages the tab 1 and so on until all of the tabs are engaged by the next adjacent tab causing a clockwise rotation of the marker plates until the shaft 25 ceases rotation.

The device is so designed that such clockwise rotation will place all of the marker plates in a clockwise direction past the forward face of the upper housing Z8 of the display device and more particularly past a plurality of stop pawls 29 pivoted upon the housing at 34. It will be noted that each stop pawl is provided with a tapered surface 33 which permits upward camming of any downward pawl 1 by a finger 26 associated therewith to allow clockwise movement (as viewed in FIG. 4) of the fingers 26 thereby.

In order to insure that the clockwise rotation is through the proper number of degrees each time it is accomplished, a cam 35 (FIGS. 3 and 5) is fixed to the shaft 25. This cam controls a pair of switches 35 and 37 which are fixed to the frame and arranged to reverse the direction of rotation of a drive motor positively connected by a chain and sprocket arrangement 4l to the shaft 25. Additional safety switches 3S and 39 may also be provided which are actuated a few degrees after the actuation of switches 36 and 37 by means of an actuator 42 fixed to the cam 35. The usual rotation of the shaft 25 as determined by switches 36 and 37, is approximately 180 in the clockwise and counterclockwise directions.

Pivoted upon the display device It) behind and below the table 11 is a plurality of cam elements 45, one for each of the stations 20. Each cam element includes a roller 46 rotatably mounted upon the upward end of the cam element, each cam element being pivoted upon a shaft 47 extending horizontally of and mounted on the frame of the device. The lower end of each cam element has one end of a spring 50 secured thereto, the other end of the spring being secured to the frame of the display device 10. It can be appreciated that when the shaft 25 is rotated clockwise and the disc 30 is also rotated, all of the marker plates will be forced in a clockwise direction against the urging of the cam 45 until all of the marker plates are to the rear and clockwise of the stop pawls 29.

In order to select a desired one of the marker plates, the operator presses one of the push buttons (Vm-9 on the control panel 53. Each of the push buttons is mechanically interlocked by means of a lock bar 5I. Each push button has an actuating rod 52 which extends through the control panel 53 and also through a suitable aperture in a guide 55, said guide being fixed to the rear of the control panel 53 by means of supporting elements 56. The lock bar 51 is vertically reciprocal within the supporting elements 56 and is normally held in a downward position by means of a spring 57 acting between the lock bar and the upper supporting element. Each push button rod 52 is provided with a perpendicular projection 58 which can seat in a downwardly opening indentation 59 in the lock bar. Whenever one of the push buttons is depressed to seat its projection in the indentation, the movement of the projection against the tapering surface 60 provi-ded for each push button causes the lock bar to be moved upwardly to an extent that the previously depressed push button is projected by its spring 6I.

Whenever a particular push button is depressed, a line connected thereto is extended or provided with a certain amount of slack which is immediately taken up by the dropping of the leftward end 66 (FIG. 4) of the particular pawl associated with that push button. For example, in FlG. 4, push button 5" has been depressed. The spring a7 associated with the pawl 29 for that push button causes the rightward end as viewed in FIG. 4 of the particular pawl to be drawn upwardly, thus pivoting the stop surface 70 of the pawl into the path of the finger mounting the marking plate 6. It will be noted that each of the fingers 26 has a radial extension 71 at its most outward end. This radial extension is engaged by the selected pawl 29.

When the finge-r 6 is stopped as shown, its tab 6" stops the finger corresponding to the marker plate 5 with the marker plate 5 in fiush relation to the table l1.

As mentioned, the various marker plates are returned to a clockwise position by means of the disc 3f) and radial projection 31. In order to display a desired marker plate, it is first necessary to press the push button corresponding to that marker plate. Next, the motor 40 is actuated to rotate the shaft 25 counterclockwise (as viewed in FIG. 4) through approximately 180. The various discs 27 are held together by a snap ring 70 which is received in a suitable annular indentation in shaft 25 and which forces the discs 27 against the disc 30. This engaged relationship of the various discs produces a frictional, slip-clutch reaction. Thus, when the shaft rotates counterclockwise, the cam 45, together with the pressing together of the discs, causes the various mounting plates and fingers to be rotated counterclockwise until the selected pawl engages its respective finger, stopping all of the fingers of higher numbers as in FIG. 4. The lower numbered fingers continue to rotate under the slip clutch action and also under the action of gravity until the finger to be displayed engages the tab of the stopped finger (the nger engaged by a pawl 29). As mentioned, such engagement positions the displayed finger in parallel flush relation to the table Ill. The various other lower numbered fingers and marker plates continue under the slip clutch action with the disc 30 and under the action of gravity to the position illustrated in FIG. 4 where the movement stops as a result of the deenergization of the motor 40 by switch 37.

Referring to FIG. 5, the details of the control panel 53 and control housing 75 are shown. Each push button is, of course, provided with a line 65. Each of the lines 65 passes over a guide 76 fixed to housing 75 and having a central annular groove 77 which receives the line. All of the lines then pass over a further guide 78 having one annular peripheral groove 80 for each line. Each of the lines then extends from the guide 78 to the forward (or leftward as viewed in FIG. 4) end of its respective pawl 29.

From the above description, it will be appreciated that the present invention provides an improved apparatus for displaying selected characters for photographing. It will also be obvious that the present invention provides such an apparatus wherein the characters are sufi'iciently large to permit reading thereof on a photograph reduced in size many times. It can also be seen that the present invention provides an apparatus of the above described type wherein characters which have not been selected are retained or hidden out of range of the photographic means.

Thus, the approximately angle provided between the marker which is retained in FIG. 4 and the one which is displayed, prevents interference with the photographing of the displayed character. It can also be appreciated that the present invention provides apparatus of the present type which includes means for preventing the various marker plates from striking one another whereby marring and scratching of the plates is prevented.

It should be emphasized that the readable number and its associated code is printed or painted together on one marker plate. In this fashion, the correct code and number asociation is always maintained. It is impossible to photograph a number with the incorrect code. This means that it is possible to verify that the correct number and associated code has been photographed by verifying only the readable number or the code. lt is not necessary to verify both pieces of information.

While the invention has been disclosed and described in some detail in the drawings and foregoing description, they are to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character, as modifications may readily suggest themselves to persons skilled in this art and within the broad scope of the invention, reference being had to the appended claims.

The invention claimed is:

1. A display arrangement comprising a table, a plurality of marker plates pivotally mounted on said table, each of said marker plates being movable through a path substantially parallel to the movement of the other marker plates and including a position adjacent said table, means for moving said plates back and forth through said path, and means for stopping a selected one of said plates in said position,

2. A display arrangement comprising a table, a shaft adjacent said table, a plurality of marker plates pivotally mounted on said shaft with their liat display surfaces extending radially and axially of said shaft, each of said marker elements being movable through a path substantially parallel to the movement of the other plates and including a liush relationship with said table, means for moving said plates back and forth through said path, and means for stopping a selected one of said plates in said flush relationship.

3. A display arrangement comprising a table, a shaft adjacent said table, a plurality of marker plates mounted on said shaft with their liat display surfaces extending radially and axially of said shaft, a plurality of mounting elements each mounting a respective marker plate on the shaft and each spaced axially of said shaft, each of said marker plates being movable through a path substantially parallel to the movement of the other plates and including a flush relationship with said table, said shaft being rotatable through a partial rotation to move said marker plates upwardly and to the rear, said shaft being reversibly rotatable back through said partial rotation, and a plurality of stops mounted above said table and each spaced axially of said shaft for engaging and stopping a selected one of said lingers to prevent its marker plate from being displayed.

4. A digital display arrangement comprising a shaft, a plurality of discs received on said shaft, a finger extending generally radially from each of said discs, a marker plate mounted on each of said fingers, a tab lixed t-o each disc so as to extend radially of the disc, each of said tabs also extending in one axial direction of the shaft into the path of the tab and linger of the next adjacent disc, means for pivoting said discs about the axis of the shaft, a plurality of indicator buttons for selecting a desired one of said marker plates, a plurality of stops alternatively positionable by respective ones of said buttons into the path lof respective ones of said lingers, said stops being located at a given angle with relation to said table about the axis of said shaft, the tab and linger on each disc being at an equal angle with respect to one another whereby the blocking of a linger by its stop will stop the preceding linger with its marker plate in flush relation to the table.

5. A display arrangement comprising a shaft, a plurality of discs received on said shaft, a linger extending generally radially from each of said discs, a marker plate mounted on each of said lingers, a tab lixed to each disc so as to extend radially of the disc, each of said tabs also extending in one axial direction of the shaft into the path of the tab and linger of the next adjacent disc so as to limit movement of each disc with respect to adjacent discs, a table positioned adjacent said shaft so that each of said marker plates are pivotal through a liush relationship adjacent said table, a plurality of indicator buttons for selecting a desired one of said marker plates, a plurality of stops alternatively positionable by respective ones of said buttons into the path of respective ones of said lingers.

6. A digital display arrangement comprising a shaft, a plurality of discs received on said shaft, a finger extending generally .radially from each of said discs, a marker plate mounted on each of Said lingers, a tab fixed to each disc so as to extend radially of the disc, each of said tabs also extending in one axial direction of the shaft into the path of the tab and linger of the next adjacent disc, a table located adjacent said shaft in such a position that each of said marker plates are pivotal through a liush relationship adjacent said table, a plurality of indicator- Ibuttons for selecting a desired one of said marker plates, a plurality of stops alternatively positionable by respective ones of said buttons into the path of respective ones of said lingers, said stops being located at approximately a angle with relation to said table about the axis of said shaft, the tab and linger on each disc being at an angle of approximately 75 with respect to one another whereby the blocking of a linger by its stop will stop the next adjacent linger with its marker plate in flush relation to the table.

7 A display arrangement comprising a shaft, .a plurality of discs received on said shaft, a finger extending generally radially from each of said discs, a marker plate mounted on each of said lingers, a tab lixed to each disc so as to extend radially of the disc, each of said tabs also extending in one axial direction of the shaft into the path of the tab and linger' of the next adjacent disc, a table located adjacent said shaft in such a position that each of said marker plates are pivotal through a llush relationship adjacent said table, a plurality of indicator buttons for selecting a desired one of said marker plates, a plurality of stops each alternatively positionable by a respective one of said buttons into the path of a respective one of said lingers, said stops being located at approximately a 75 angle with relation to said table about the taxis of said shaft, the tab and linger on each disc being at an angle of approximately 75 with respect to one another, resilient means urging said lingers in a counterclockwise direction, a tab-engaging member lixed to said shaft and positioned counterclockwise of the most counterclockwise tab, means for rotating said shaft clockwise approximately whereby said member engages said tabs to move said marker plates clockwise past said stops, said rotating means being reversible to rotate said shaft counterclockwise approximately 180 whereby the blocking of a linger by its stop will stop the preceding linger with its marker plate in flush relation to the table, and means for holding said discs together suliiciently tightly so that counter- #clockwise -rotation of said shaft assists said resilient means. in causing counterclockwise rotation of said discs.

8. A display arrangement comprising a shaft, a pair of discs pivotally mounted on the shaft, a pair of mounting elements pivotally mounted on the shaft, a linger extending from each disc, a tab on one of said mounting elements, a tab on the other of said mounting elements extending into the path of said lirst tab and the path of the nger of said one mounting element.

9. A display arrangement comprising a plurality of pivotally mounted marker plates, each of said plates being swingable through a path including a display position and substantially parallel to the movement of the other plates, said plates each having visually readable information thereon together with associated machine readable coding, means for pivoting said plates back and forth through said path, and means for stopping a selected one of said plates in said position.

10. The arrangement of claim 3 in which each of said stops is pivoted with respect to said table, a plurality of springs each biasing a respective yone of said stops toward said iinger engaging position, ia plurality of mechanically interlocked push buttons reciprocably mounted adjacent said stops, a plurality of lines each connecting a respective one of said push buttons with a respective one of said stops to exert a force thereon in opposition to the spring bias, each push button being mounted in such a manner that depression thereof releases the force of the associated line on the associated stop whereby the associated spring can project said stop into nger engaging position.

11. Apparatus for projecting stops comprising a frame, a plurality of stops each pivoted on said frame, a plurality of springs each acting between said frame and a respective stop and biasing the respective stop toward a projected position, a plurality of mechanically interlocked push buttons reciprocably mounted upon said frame, means biasing each of said push buttons to a projected position, a plurality of lines each connecting a respective one of said push buttons with a respective one of said stops to exert a force thereon in opposition to the spring bias, each push button being mounted in such a manner that depression thereof releases the force of the associated line on the associated stop whereby the associated spring can project said stop.

12. A display arrangement comprising a table, a shaft adjacent said table, a plurality of indicator elements mounted on said shaft, each of said indicator elements having a plurality of display surfaces, means for pivoting all of said indicator elements to a counterclockwise position, means for yieldably pivoting all of said indicator elements to a clockwise position, and a plurality of indicator buttons for each indicator element and corresponding to the respective display surfaces of each element, and

a plurality of stops for each indicator element alternatively positionable by the buttons for the element to stop clockwise pivoting of each indicator element with a selected surface displayed adjacent said table.

13. Apparatus for recording information on a Storage medium comprising a document display table, a plurality of indicator elements adjacent said display table, each of said indicator elements having a plurality of display surfaces, a control panel located above said table and operatively associated with said indicator elements for positioning each indicator element with a selected one of its surfaces displayed adjacent said table.

14. Apparatus for recording information on a storage medium comprising a document display table, a plurality of indicator elements adjacent said display table, each of said indicator elements having a plurality of display surfaces, a control panel located above said table, a plurality of sets of buttons mounted on said control panel, each set of buttons being aligned with a respective one of said indicator elements and operatively associated therewith for positioning the indicator element with a selected one of its surfaces displayed adjacent said table.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,223,686 4/17 Frisch 88--24 X 1,801,458 4/31 Satterlee 88-24 1,877,463 9/32 Houck 40-35 2,339,377 1/44 Clark et al. 88-24 X 2,339,657 1/44 Smith 88-24 X 2,402,100 6/ 46 Tondreau et al 88--24 X 2,403,711 7/46 Egan 88-24 2,458,657 l/49 Torrence et al. 40-35 2,983,187 5/61 Bone 88-24 NORTON ANSI-IER, Primary Examiner.

WILLIAM MISIEK, Examiner. 

1. A DISPLAY ARRANGEMENT COMPRISING A TABLE, A PLURALITY OF MARKER PLATES PIVOTALLY MOUNTE ON SAID TABLE, EACH OF SAID MARKER PLATES BEING MOVABLE THROUGH A PATH SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO THE MOVEMENT OF THE OTHER MARKER PLATES AND INCLUDING A POSITION ADJACENT SAID 